Garage subpanel installation - EMT

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Originally Posted by spark plug

In Post #4 (paraphrasing) "I've got to start somewhere and the garage is a good place to start. No one [else] sees it, anyway"!

It's funny. But I've done plenty of jobs with EMT. And even the customer admonished me sometimes when I wanted to be extra super careful about running the pipe neatly, with the following phrase... "It's only a basement and no one will see it, anyway"! Don't Drink and Drive!!!

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

You know what? For a first time whack at EMT, it aint all that bad. Would I run it differently? Yes. As it was stated earlier, pipe bending at its nuances are learned over YEARS. So, if you like it, then take pride in it. You really should secure that stuff, though. It may have been suggested, but if you loosen the connectors, and roll the offsets out a little, you can probably get enough room to get a minnie under there. For the straight runs, just remove the fasteners on one box, let it hang while you attach your minnie, and snap it back into place.

I'm sure after you bend about 1000 miles more of it you'll have it down pat.

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

The one thing I wouldn't do is the split recep on 2 circuits. It seems better and just as easy to install a double duplex.

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I realized far too late that the one by the garage door gets hit by the door, so now I can't get it open.

Classic! We have all done something similar

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that's bothering me too, b/c obviously the conduit isn't lying flat to the wall. I cut and installed quite a few pieces before I realized it (and pulled some wire too), and I'm still weighing whether or not I want to redo it all.

Move on. Box offsets are over rated. The only people that even look at them are electricians. When I was an apprentice, an auto mechanic guy on a jobsite asked me why we bothered to make box offsets. I thought he had a good point and to this day I rarely use them when the distance is 1/2" or under.

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

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Originally Posted by Magnettica

I know you've got green bonding screws installed in each of those metal boxes with devices right?

All the ones that are closed up so far, yah. Not only that, but grounds are pigtailed to the recepts. even though they're self-grounding. (I'd bought a box of 50 screws when I moved into the house 7 mos. ago. Had to run to the Depot on Sunday b/c I ran out! Dunno where they all went..)

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Originally Posted by goose134

You know what? For a first time whack at EMT, it aint all that bad. Would I run it differently? Yes. As it was stated earlier, pipe bending at its nuances are learned over YEARS. So, if you like it, then take pride in it. You really should secure that stuff, though. It may have been suggested, ...

Thanks! I'd run it differently too, in hindsight.. and probably use more 3/4" I was going to secure it as the last step (except on the ceiling where I needed it as a second set of hands) in case I have to reconfigure something.

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Originally Posted by goose134

I'm sure after you bend about 1000 miles more of it you'll have it down pat.

The one thing I wouldn't do is the split recep on 2 circuits. It seems better and just as easy to install a double duplex.

Thanks again!

The reason I'm splitting the receps. is 2 fold: I want to use the more rugged high-end back-wire types, which are $7 ea. The better reason is that I want 1 tool per circuit. Hence 1 recep. (Plus it cuts down on box fill). Of course, if I go w/GFI receps. instead of breakers then I'll need 2/box.

You know, forget that last paragraph. You make a good point, and now I'm thinking that I might want more than 1 tool plugged into the same circuit at the same time. It's not like I'll be using them simultaneously, but I may be going back and forth between them (e.g. circ. saw and jigsaw).

The one on the end (that's powered in the pics) I'll probably change to a quad b/c it's for chargers and the like.

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Originally Posted by 220/221

Move on. Box offsets are over rated. The only people that even look at them are electricians. When I was an apprentice, an auto mechanic guy on a jobsite asked me why we bothered to make box offsets. I thought he had a good point and to this day I rarely use them when the distance is 1/2" or under.

You've convinced me! (That and the thought of pulling it all out). I don't foresee a problem in this case w/o them. If I were running lower on the wall, maybe, b/c eventually I'd hit the pipe with something heavy and it would bend into the wall.

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

UPDATE: Images in the previous posts are down b/c my server is down. Here's the "why"...

In other electrical news, the POCO showed up at my door at 8AM today. They're replacing their low-voltage feeders (correct term?) up on the poles with new wire (the old wire was REALLY old and looked like complete garbage), and splitting my block between the old xformer and a new one. That's pretty cool b/c I get a voltage drop (haven't measured it -- lights dim) when the neighbor's AC compressor kicks on. My house is the closest hookup to the xformer -- the pole is right in the rear-left corner of my yard.

As for the garage, I didn't do anything last night, but did some new work on Monday. I also did three stupid things:

1) I mounted a light switch upside down.

2) I shorted the neut. to ground in a box and almost didn't notice.. You'll see -- it's not quite as stupid as it sounds (well, maybe it is).

3) I bought the wrong switch. Or they mfr. them in an illogical fashion.

The good news is I moved the light that was blocking the garage door. They all work, and it's a heck of a lot brighter in there!

Upside-down switch. I was in a hurry to get the new lights on. This switch was existing and has 14/3 NM-B to the box from the attic. Luckily the 14/3 in the attic was just sorta strung on a nail with tons of slack. I was able to easily get it to the new metal box in the attic, and I properly secured the cable to the rafters.

I installed this switch just to the right of the box w/the GFI recep. and the timer. It's to control the attic lights, and is slaved off of the main light switch.

This switch has a pilot light. When I saw the switch I thought "the light must go on and off with the switch". Not so! It just stays on constantly.

Edit: Better pic below.

You can see where the insulation is chafed on the white wire, and a little bit on the red wire, too. When I put the switch in the wire rubbed against the EMT coupling, hard. I didn't notice, but the neut. screw was also touching the coupling when the unit was fully seated, and the hot screw was maybe a millimeter from shorting. I'll be replacing it with a plain single pole switch, which is much thinner in the back.

Oh, one more thing: All the other boxes are bonded to each other with wire. This box is only bonded by the EMT. It's a switch, so I'm not terribly concerned; I'll probably leave it that way.

Close-up of 2 boxes, for no reason.

Lighting connections, ready for a box cover. (You can kinda see the tail of one of them, but there are anti-short bushings in the ends of the AC. The box is bonded to that green pigtail, too).

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

Garage subpanel installation - EMT

Quote:

Originally Posted by 220/221

In his defense, it IS a DIY job.

I think it looks good.

Move on. Box offsets are over rated. The only people that even look at them are electricians. When I was an apprentice, an auto mechanic guy on a jobsite asked me why we bothered to make box offsets. I thought he had a good point and to this day I rarely use them when the distance is 1/2" or under.

You ropers have no idea how some of us feel about installing conduit. Offsets overrated? When I was a first year apprentice, the offset was the first thing we were taught along with stubs. Hell, they even make a tool for box offsets. I agree it's a DIY job, and applaud Scott for his work. If you came to my house or job site and had the same attitude about running conduit on an exposed pipe job, you would be packing your tools in short order.